Nesting
by julesmonster
Summary: "There was a potions accident during detention—isn't there always?" Thus begins a loving slightly tongue-in-cheek tribute to all Mpreg, creature, bonding and bottom!Snape fics. Slash. HP/SS.
1. Chapter 1

**Nesting**

**By Julesmonster**

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Warnings: **A loving (slightly tongue-in-cheek) tribute to all Mpreg, creature, bonding and bottom!Snape fics.

**Summary:** _"There was a potions accident during detention—isn't there always?— involving one Boy-Who-Lived, one Potions Master, a partially completed transformative draft, a fully completed aphrodisiacal potion, three drops of dragon's blood and a pinch of powdered phoenix egg shell."_

**A/N: **I haven't written any new HP in a long time, so I was rather surprised when this little gem of a plot came to me. It really started with the first line of the story and grew from there. It really doesn't have any spoilers for any of the books. (There may be mention of the heir of Slytherin from Chamber of Secrets, but I'd think that if you're reading this then you've probably already read that one or at least seen the movie.) I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it! Jules

**Part 1**

There was a potions accident during detention—isn't there always?— involving one Boy-Who-Lived, one Potions Master, a partially completed transformative draft, a fully completed aphrodisiacal potion, three drops of dragon's blood and a pinch of powdered phoenix egg shell. When the aphrodisiac kicked in and swept them away in its powerful grip, there followed an evening of passion that was _**NEVER**_ to be repeated or mentioned ever again (at least according to the elder of the two participants). Finally, the very next morning, there was the final battle against Voldemort wherein Harry Potter was at last able to obliterate the Dark Lord with a power unseen before in the young wizard.

All of this happened in the last weeks of Harry's sixth year and, for once, he was happy to return to Privet Drive for a few weeks of the summer holidays. At least he was safe from reporters and the fanatics who had taken to stalking him around Hogwarts and Hogsmeade in the final days of the school year. Instead, he spent several quiet weeks avoiding his family by walking around Little Whinging and planning his future, now that he was sure he had one to plan.

His seventeenth birthday came and Harry left Privet Drive for the Burrow and the welcoming arms of his adopted family. He spent time playing Quidditch with Ron and his brothers, but he also took the opportunity to have long private talks with Molly Weasley about what he wanted from life and how to go about getting it. She picked up several books from Diagon Alley for him and together they spent time exploring Harry's career options and what he would need to do to reach his goals, even taking a couple of trips to make the right contacts. By the time September 1st came back around and the teen wizard was on his way back to Hogwarts for his seventh and final year, he had a clear plan for his life and the determination to make it work.

Ron had been a bit annoyed when he saw Harry studying over the summer, but a few sharp words—and a swift smack to the head—from his mother had set him straight. Hermione, on the other hand, was thrilled to see her friend finally taking his education seriously and, once back at school, the two settled into a regimented routine of homework and revising every evening and most weekends. Harry's grades improved in every subject as a consequence of his newfound studiousness, much to the delight of his teachers. All but one teacher praised his improved academic habits, but that one teacher would never praise anything Harry did. Of course, that same teacher's usual vitriolic harangues had been conspicuously absent.

Yes, Harry Potter had changed quite a bit over the summer, but since they were all changes for the better, no one thought to question them. And certainly no one thought to connect them back to the little mishap in Potions detention in June…

**HPHPHPHPHP**

Severus Snape carefully scrutinized the seventh year Gryffindors: from his seat at the head table in the Great Hall, from the lectern in his class, from the shadows of the halls. He spent more time watching Harry Potter this year than in all the previous years combined despite the fact that his behavior had improved and there was no longer any danger from the Dark Lord.

Albus, interfering old coot that he was, asked Severus about his new obsession. Severus had no answer for him. Oh, he made a show of indignation and blustered his way out of the headmaster's office easily enough, but the truth was that even he didn't understand why he was watching the brat. He only knew that he was waiting for something to happen, and when it did, he would know what it was.

**HPHPHPHPHP**

"Ron, have you seen my cashmere scarf? I thought I left it here," Hermione asked as she looked around the common room, moving pillows and ducking under the study tables.

"I've not seen it," Ron said, "but you aren't the only one missing something. Lavender reported that she's missing a chenille blanket, and Ginny's lost a sweater. Me and Neville have each lost a sweater, not that I mind much, since it was one of the maroon sweaters mum made. That McDermott kid in third year is missing a scarf, a hat and a blanket. And that's not to mention the food that's turned up missing."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, finally giving up her search and settling her full attention on her boyfriend. "You think someone has been stealing these things? Why would they do that?"

"I'm not really sure, but it's been happening for a couple of weeks now," Ron shrugged.

"And why didn't you tell me?" Hermione asked with annoyance. "We could have been working to figure this out. I am a prefect you know."

"And so am I," Ron huffed in return. "They reported the disappearances to me. I reported them to McGonagall. It is on the agenda for the next prefects meeting. Anyway, you've been spending so much time with your new study-buddy that I haven't seen you in days."

"That's not true!" Hermione defended hotly, but cooled almost immediately when she realized how much time she really had been spending with Harry instead of her boyfriend. "Okay, maybe you have a point. I'm sorry."

Ron shook his head. "It's fine. Really. I'm not jealous, I just miss you. Both of you."

"You could join us, you know," Hermione hinted. She had given up pressuring Ron to study when it became obvious that it was causing stress in their relationship and wasn't going to change Ron anyway. The occasional nudge, however, reminded him that she still cared.

Ron just laughed. "Willingly spend more time in the library than is absolutely necessary? Don't you know me better than that by now? No, like I said. It's fine. Just make some time for me every once in a while, huh?"

"You got it," Hermione smiled. "Now, about this thief problem…"

"We have a thief?" Harry asked as he came down the stairs from the dorm. "What's he taking?"

"Apparently soft fabrics and food," Hermione said with a wry smile.

"Rather peculiar thief," Harry shrugged as he led his friends to the portrait hole and on through. "He seems more like an annoyance than anything else. Good luck catching him."

"You aren't going to help us investigate?" Ron asked, slightly disappointed. He had gotten Hermione to remember he was alive, now he needed Harry to remember as well. "I thought it might be fun for us to solve a mystery without a mass murdering lunatic trying to kill us."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Harry said. "I've wasted too much time solving mysteries. If I want to pass my NEWTs and pass the apprenticeship assessment, then I've got to work my arse off to catch up."

"You still haven't told us about this apprenticeship," Hermione said.

"And I'm not going to," Harry replied with a grin to soften the refusal. "Listen, I trust you both, but this is something I want to do completely on my own. I'll tell you once I know one way or the other."

"When is the apprenticeship assessment?" Ron asked.

"In January, right after the holidays," Harry told him. "I'll be able to use all that free time studying for them. I'll go to the Burrow for Christmas day, but come right back after that."

"You'd better come home for Christmas," Ron snorted. "Mum would have both our heads if you didn't."

The three laughed as they reached the Great Hall and talk turned back to the everyday trivialities which make up the bulk of everyone's day. Soon they were on their way to classes and the mysterious scarf thief was relegated to the back of Hermione's mind, but it would surface again.

**HPHPHPHPHP**

A week later, the prefects met and they found that all of the houses had experienced a similar phenomenon. The only difference being that their things did not turn up missing from their common rooms, but from other places in the school. A silk shirt was left in the Quidditch changing rooms and disappeared. A pashmina wrap was laid aside in the library and was gone when the owner went to retrieve it. It was always something soft.

"I don't get it," Ron muttered as they walked back to Gryffindor Tower after the meeting ended. "It has to be someone from Gryffindor, but why would someone do something like this?"

"There's something vaguely bestial about the whole thing," Hermione said, almost to herself.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Hmmm," Hermione paused to formulate her answer. "Have you ever watched a squirrel get ready for winter? It will go about looking for things to build up his nest, to make it warm and comfortable. It will also gather nuts to last through the cold months. Birds do the same in the spring when they are building their nests."

"Yeah," Ron nodded. "I get it. Charlie said that dragons do something similar when they are about to lay eggs. The mated pair finds a cave somewhere, and starts making it homey—or as homey as it can be for a dragon—using feathers and fur and such. Charlie said that some have even been known to pilfer clothes from the handlers' clothes lines to line their nests. They kill extra prey to hoard in their cave and they eat loads of food to store up fat for when they can't leave the eggs. Charlie calls it nesting."

"Exactly," Hermione said. "It's like this thief is stealing things to make a nest of sorts. Does that make any sense?"

"Well, if he or she is a magical creature it would," Ron said. "But there's almost always some outward indication that a person has a creature heritage, like wings or ears, or something. Even Veela have white hair in human form."

"Well, there must be an explanation," Hermione said with determination. "And we are going to discover what it is."

**HPHPHPHPHP**

It was almost midnight and Severus waited in the shadows outside the Gryffindor portrait hole. Harry Potter would be coming soon. He knew this like he knew his own name. Not just because the younger wizard had come through the portrait every night for the past three weeks; he knew because his instincts told him so.

Sure enough, just as the clock tower gonged its twelfth gong, Harry Potter exited the portrait hole with a bundle under his arm, just as he had every other night Severus had watched. Harry paused for a moment to look in Severus' direction, their eyes meeting and holding through the gloom, before nodding at his professor and continuing on his way.

Severus said nothing; he simply followed the teen through the halls of Hogwarts to the third floor corridor near the north tower. Severus took up his usual spot in the shadows between a column and a tapestry and observed Harry opening the door to a large suite of rooms that had been out of use for longer than either man had been alive.

Unlike other nights, this time Harry paused in the doorway to look at Severus again and left the door open. Severus carefully followed him inside. The rooms had obviously been scrubbed meticulously without magic; Severus could still smell the lingering fresh pine scent of his preferred scouring potion. The once empty sitting room was filled with sturdy and comfortable furnishings that the boy must have scrounged from storage rooms all over the castle. The stone walls were hidden behind a façade of rich cream silk panels and lined with empty bookshelves just waiting to be filled. The sofa and arm chairs, upholstered in warm brown velvet and cool blue satin respectively, had clean lines and were grouped casually around the pristine fireplace and looked comfortable and inviting. In one corner there was a modern dining suite in dark mahogany complete with a buffet—which would suit as a liquor cabinet later—and a china hutch filled with simple but elegant china.

Harry had continued on through another door, but Severus was not ready to follow him yet. He went instead through the archway to the kitchen. The boy had been hard at work in this room as well. The cold cupboard had recently had its charms renewed and was stocked with fresh juices, milk, fruits and vegetables, and a host of other healthy snacks. There was fresh fruit in a bowl on the scrubbed table. In the other cupboards, Severus found his favorite tea, tins of biscuits, crisps, and an assortment of chocolates. There wasn't much in the way of balanced meals, but there was no need when the house elves could provide for them with a simple snap of the fingers.

When Severus returned to the sitting room he walked to the two closed doors to his right. Behind the first door he found an empty room with windows overlooking the Quidditch pitch. The second door led to a well appointed office space with more bookshelves and two large hand-crafted desks facing each other from opposite sides of the room. He also found a magical portal leading to his private potions lab and his classroom. The boy had to have spent a great deal of time figuring out the spells to make a portal that traveled through half of the castle. Severus nodded in satisfaction.

Back in the sitting room, Harry was now waiting for Severus. When the older man returned, the teen slowly approached the older wizard, took his hand and led him through the door to the bedroom. Again, Harry had found the best furnishings possible and had taken Severus' preferences into account, selecting furniture with clean lines and sturdy designs. The bed was larger than the one in Severus' dungeon rooms and was draped in rich linens of cream, brown and green velvet and damask. There were two wardrobes and two bedside tables in rich mahogany to match the bed.

The floor was covered in a plush rug that matched the bed linens. And for the first time, Severus realized that the boy had covered the stone floor in the room, and presumably the entire residence, with hardwood floors and area rugs.

Severus followed the boy through another door to the en suite bathroom. It was the nicest bathroom that Severus could ever remember seeing. There were two sinks and a huge soaking tub made of slate reinforced with spells to stabilize the normally fragile stone, and a large separate shower tiled with more slate, all brand new and recently installed. The cream colored towels were plush and pristine on their warming racks. Again Severus nodded his approval.

Back in the bedroom, Harry took Severus' hand once more and led him to the far side of the bed. There, in the corner, Severus saw the nest that Harry had made from the bundles of pilfered fabrics. Severus let go of Harry's hand and walked over to the nest to examine it closely. At the bottom of the nest were several mats that Severus recognized from the old dueling room. They were firm enough to give support but cushioned enough to act as a comfortable futon. Over those, Harry had draped several soft blankets before piling the various items around, creating a circle of warmth and comfort. There was another layer of super-fine linens and more soft blankets and the final touch was a super soft blanket of merino wool.

"Is it good?" Harry asked, finally breaking the silence.

"It is good," Severus nodded.

Harry smiled and rushed over to join Severus beside the nest. Without any more words, he began to strip his mate, carefully opening every button on Severus' robes and waistcoat before sliding the garments off and neatly folding them on the bed. He continued this way with each garment until Severus was completely naked, and then he quickly disrobed himself. Taking Severus' hand once again, Harry guided him to lay back into the nest before the younger man joined him, coving the older wizard's body with his own. They shared a gentle kiss, a mere meeting of the lips before they both began to move.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

Albus Dumbledore was a very intelligent and intuitive man—very few things took him by surprise—but finding his misplaced Gryffindor student naked in a nest of stolen clothes with his equally naked Potions Master wrapped tightly in his arms was definitely a shock. Not sure how to deal with the whole situation, Dumbledore quickly roused the two wayward wizards and demanded that they join him in his office posthaste before leaving the bedroom and the recently renovated suite.

Since the boys obviously needed time to clean away the residues from their night together and dress, Albus reckoned he had at least half an hour before the two men would show up. In the meantime, Albus could take the opportunity to rethink what he could have missed over the past weeks and months and what this all could mean.

He had just come to some rather startling conclusions when Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley returned, pounding on his door.

"We're sorry to bother you again, sir," Hermione said once the headmaster had granted them entrance, "but were you able to find him?"

"I did find Mr. Potter," Albus smiled, the twinkle back in his eye as the pieces continued to click into place despite the interruption of the young Gryffindors. "I also think I have solved the problem you have been having with missing garments."

"You think it's Harry," Ron said sadly. "I was hoping there was another explanation, but…"

"You both think Harry stole my scarf? And those other things?" Hermione asked, her head turning back and forth between the two men, feeling uncharacteristically bewildered.

"Well, after the others told me about the missing stuff, I started paying attention to things," Ron told her. "And I noticed that Harry always seemed to sneak out every night after something had been stolen. I never caught him or found the stuff, so I never said anything. I was hoping it was just a coincidence."

"But why would Harry steal those things?" Hermione asked. "He has plenty of money from his parents and Sirius. And it isn't as if he's a kleptomaniac; he's never done anything like this before."

This time Dumbledore answered. "He hadn't had a mysterious combination of potions and potion ingredients spilled on him before." Dumbledore paused and waved his door open, to reveal Harry and Severus Snape standing in the doorway, looking slightly lost and holding hands. "Come boys, have a seat. We were just discussing the missing items of clothing and food and why Harry here might have taken them."

Harry turned bright red with embarrassment. This reaction did nothing to conceal the tension and anxiety radiating from both Harry and Snape as they sat close beside each other on the headmaster's sofa. "I'll pay to replace everything, Hermione. Just get me a list of who lost what. But can we keep this quiet?"

"I'm sure that we can come up with something," Albus assured Harry. Harry nodded gratefully and scooted a little closer to Severus who was unconsciously leaning toward the younger man. "Well, Harry, Severus, I am waiting anxiously to hear a plausible explanation for the circumstances in which I discovered the two of you this morning."

Harry and Severus looked at each other for a long minute before Harry ran his hands through his hair, his face even redder than before. "I _had _to make the nest," Harry mumbled.

"But why?" Hermione demanded to know. "Did you have some creature inheritance come out over the summer, or what?"

"Yeah, and what's Snape got to do with any of this?" Ron said.

"I am here because the nest he made was for me," Severus said in clipped tones, his voice filled with haughty disdain, though his posture seemed to express an inner need to be protected.

"I…Wait a minute…"Hermione was slowly piecing things together while Dumbledore twinkled at her and waited for her to reach the same conclusions he had reached only minutes before. "Oh Merlin! Ron, remember what you said about the dragons? Well I did a bit of research on how dragons nest. The male dragon is the one who puts it all together, the cave and the nest. He gathers food before showing the female dragon so she will know that he is a good hunter and will be able to provide nourishment while she is stuck in the cave, protecting the eggs."

"Yeah, and what's that got to do with Harry?"

"Professor Dumbledore already said it," Hermione told him. "The potions accident last year. What was it that spilled on you, Harry?"

"It exploded on both of us," Harry corrected quietly and attempted to surreptitiously slip his arm around Severus' shoulder. Of course everyone noticed. "It went up our noses, too. I remember we were both sneezing and coughing from it. Anyway, there was a transformation potion that was almost complete, a completed aphrodisiac, three drops of dragon's blood, and a bit of powdered phoenix eggshell."

"Right," Hermione said. "So I'm guessing that the two of you were affected right away by the aphrodisiac?" She took Harry's reluctant nod and Severus' scowl as confirmation. "Then the transformation potion mixed with the dragon's blood working along with the phoenix eggshell, which has powerful fertility properties, served to not only give you both certain dragon-like characteristics, but actually acted to enable one of you to impregnate…"

"Wait," Ron stopped her before she could finish; she was moving much too fast for his brain to keep up. He thought things over for a long minute before saying, "Harry built the nest. So, you're telling me that Professor Snape is up the duff?"

"He's really pregnant?" Harry asked, his flushed face losing all color. "I mean, I thought he might…and his belly is a bit bigger now…but everything has been so weird…and I could have been wrong." Harry turned to look Snape in the face. "You're pregnant?"

"I have performed no tests and have not been examined by a medical professional," Snape stated coolly, "but based upon our combined behaviors and the factors already stated by Miss Granger, as well as the weeks of nausea and the weight gain I experienced over the summer, I would have to conclude that there is a distinct possibility."

"So you didn't know either?" Harry asked. "Only you were following me and not taking points, and then last night…So, I thought maybe you might have had some indication."

Snape glared at Harry for a moment with barely a fraction of the usual malice. "I would not have participated last night or last June if I had been in my right mind." He tried to ignore the crestfallen look in Harry's eyes and continued even as he curled closer into the young wizard's arms, practically burying his face in Harry's sweater. "You are my student and all of this is highly irregular, not to mention illegal. As for the pregnancy—and I expect you will understand this—my thought processes were a bit convoluted. I did not recognize the signs, nor did I have any desire to understand my actions at the time."

"Yeah," Harry agreed, looking back to the headmaster. "I knew what I was doing. I even knew that Ron and Hermione were trying to catch the thief, it just didn't matter. All that really mattered was building the nest and getting Severus to approve."

Harry paused for a moment before smiling a soft smile at Severus that warmed the usually snarky man from the inside out. Severus scowled in response, but that didn't prevent Harry from saying, "You did approve, didn't you? That's what last night was about."

"If he accepted the nest, and…um…consummated…" Hermione tried to explain with a fiery blush. "If he accepted the nest, then he accepted you as his mate and to care for him while he is confined, too."

"Yeah, about that confinement thing," Harry asked. "It sounds like something out of a 19th century novel. You aren't really a dragon, and neither am I, so will you really go into confinement? Or was that nest building stuff just…symbolic, or whatever?"

"I don't…Albus?" Snape's brow was furrowed in confusion as he looked to the headmaster to answer this question. He hadn't considered the idea that he might be led by his instincts to hibernate until the child was born. The rooms were quite a bit nicer than his current rooms in the dungeons, especially with the magnificent view of the lake and direct access to his potions lab, but he wasn't sure he wanted to be stuck in them for the next five months.

Albus wanted to chuckle at the predicament his boys had found themselves in this time, but couldn't. Severus looked so stricken even as he tried to stop himself from crawling into Harry's lap and Harry kept stealing glances at Severus and trying to hide the utter devotion that shone in his eyes.

"I would presume that at some point that you will find yourself spending more and more time in your new rooms," Albus said. "And Harry will spend more and more time making sure your needs are fulfilled, whatever they may be. How soon that will begin, I do not know. Nor do I know if you will completely shut yourself in closer to the time of delivery. With that eventuality in mind, however, I do believe it would be prudent to begin looking for a substitute professor for your classes. You will want to move your things up to the new rooms Harry has prepared. His selection was rather inspired, wouldn't you say Severus? They are spacious, well lit with numerous windows, have room for a nursery, and are steps away from the shortcut to the dungeons, so your students will still be able to quickly find you in an emergency."

"Hmm," Snape grunted. "I will have the house elves prepare my things for the transfer. I expect that Mr. Potter will wish to oversee the move?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Harry nodded. "And forget the elves. No external magic. Ron and Hermione can help me pack your things and move the boxes this weekend."

Snape raised his brow and said, "And what shall I be doing while you manhandle my priceless belongings?"

"Supervising," Harry grinned. "You'll be good at that. Just like detention."

"Wait," Ron protested. "I didn't sign up for this. Why can't the elves do it? They love this sort of thing."

"I believe that Harry has strong feelings about foreign magic around the nest," Albus explained. "It is natural for any expectant father to be overly cautious, but especially if that father is a dragon. I would say that Severus will share some of those same tendencies, if he doesn't already."

"I noticed and was pleased that Harry didn't use magic to clean up the rooms," Severus stated, finally sitting up straighter. "It was one of the things that made them acceptable. And any magic that couldn't be avoided was from his wand alone. Yes, I do believe that I would prefer to avoid outside magic as well."

"Bugger, you're just saying that so you can watch us sweat our arses off all weekend," Ron complained.

"Ron!" Hermione reprimanded.

"It is a benefit," Snape smirked, "but not the reason. Thank you for your offer Harry. I will expect you tonight to begin packing."

"Yes, sir," Harry smiled and barely stopped himself from tenderly caressing Severus' cheek.

"Now that that's settled, I do believe we have a few other concerns," Albus said, redirecting the conversation. "First of all, I'm quite positive that Harry will be drawn to Severus' rooms. After all, it is not just the female dragon who occupies the cave. The male must guard the cave and the expectant…parent."

"Yes, sir," Harry agreed. "I was actually going to ask about that. I've already started moving my things down to the new rooms. I mean, when I was getting them ready and everything."

"Is that why I couldn't find your invisibility cloak?" Ron asked. "I was going to use it to try and follow you, but it wasn't in your trunk."

"Um no," Harry blushed. "Actually, it's in the nest. It's really soft, you know."

"Well, take it out," Ron said. "And now that we know where all that stuff went, we can just give it back, instead of paying people for their stuff. You can buy new stuff. Just as soft."

"It doesn't work that way," Hermione said. "Now that the nest is built, they won't let anyone near it until the baby is born. Anything in there will stay there unless you want two very angry, very powerful wizards—both of whom are acting on a nesting dragon's instinct—to come after you."

Run shuddered and shook his head. Harry smiled a little wistfully. His subconscious may have thought that putting his invisibility cloak into the nest was a great idea, but his conscious mind agreed with Ron and wished he hadn't added it to the nest.

"So what will we tell people about why I'm living with Professor Snape?" Harry asked. "Without my cloak, I can't sneak in and out all the time."

"We shall have to tell the truth," Albus told them.

"But Albus," Snape began to protest.

"No, no, Severus. It is the only way," Albus told him. "You will be protected by the laws for mated creatures. Despite the age difference and discrepancies with the student/teacher rules of conduct, no one will be able to gainsay you, not the school governors, the ministry, or even the press. It is the safest way."

"Fine," Snape snapped and Harry thought that on anyone else the expression on his face might have been a pout. Since it was Snape, it was probably a scowl. "Is that all, headmaster? If so, I would like to try to teach at least one class before lunch time."

"Certainly!" Albus beamed. "Harry, I'll excuse you and your friends from your morning classes, but I shall expect all three of you to be in class this afternoon."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said, with similar echoes coming from Ron and Hermione. With that, they left.

"You realize nothing will ever be the same again," Severus sighed. "I shall have to be nice to Weasley and Granger. And I have already found myself having…_kind_…thoughts towards Potter. And what the bloody hell do I know about being a _parent?_ No. I do not like this, Albus. Not one bit."

"I know that, dear boy," Albus consoled. "But take heart from the fact that you will not be alone in this adventure. Harry is going to be right beside you every step of the way. And he has already begun changing towards you as well. I have seen it. And I believe that you have too." Albus patted the younger man's hand. "No, life will never be the same again, Severus—I will give you that—but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Change can bring good things into our lives, too. Sometimes, it can even bring us love if we let it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

The transfer of Severus' possessions went more smoothly than he had expected—he'd even had the chance to amuse himself by scaring Weasley out of his bedroom permanently—and by Sunday afternoon he was fully settled into his new quarters. Of course, Harry Potter had also moved his single trunk of belongings into the new rooms and was in the process of unpacking. Harry was in the study, placing his few books on the bookcase closest to the desk he had claimed for himself.

"I'm going to need a few more books, I think," Harry said ruefully as he looked at the empty shelves of the one bookcase that he had claimed. Harry's seven years of texts barely took up a single shelf. Severus just snorted in amusement as he glanced at the many shelves that held his collection of texts on Potions, Defense and the Dark Arts. The books he collected to read for leisure were already unpacked in the sitting room, filling most of the shelves in there.

"You need to actually read a few books," Severus said dryly.

Harry glanced up at the almost friendly teasing from his once hated professor. "Does that mean that you have read all of these books? There must be thousands of them in here."

"No, you twit, I have not read all of them," Severus chided. "I have, however, read or used _portions_ of all of them in my research. And I have read the majority of the books in the other room in their entirety. Your shelves will fill as your interests expand with age and maturity."

"Would you mind if I borrowed a book to read?" Harry asked as he finished unpacking his writing supplies into the desk and set his inkwell on the blotter. "I saw one in the sitting room when we were unpacking that looked really interesting."

"Oh? Which book was it?" Severus asked, finally turning his full attention on Harry.

"Um, yeah," Harry said nervously. "It was that book of stories by Franz Kafka."

Severus' eyebrows rose almost to his hairline. "You wish to read Kafka? It is a bit advanced, but I see no reason not to lend you the book. If you would like to discuss what you read, I would be happy to offer my own observations."

"Thanks," Harry grinned. "I'll take you up on that offer when the time comes."

After that short exchange, the two were quiet for some time, each lost in his thoughts. Harry soon finished unpacking his school supplies and stood from his seat. "I thought I would make dinner for us, to celebrate. Is there anything you would prefer? I'm a pretty good cook."

Severus looked up from the papers he had begun correcting, "Anything is fine." When Harry would have turned to go, however, he called out to stop the younger man, "No, I take that back. I have an astonishing desire for something spicy. I normally loathe spicy foods. How peculiar."

Harry smiled, "Must be the baby. I know a great recipe for roasted red pepper penne with hot Italian sausage. It'll take about an hour."

"That will be fine," Severus nodded absently, already lost again in his work.

**HPHPHPHPHP**

"That was absolutely delicious," Severus sighed as he leaned back from the table. "From your lack of aptitude in potions, I would have never known that you could cook with any skill, but you seem to have a real flair for the culinary arts."

Harry chuckled. "Only you could insult and compliment a person all in the same sentence. But thank you. I love to cook. Cooking and gardening were the two chores that I actually enjoyed at the Dursleys'. Some day I want a cottage somewhere with a garden I can make my own."

"Even after those ill-fated Occlumency lessons, that is something I never knew," Severus admitted. "It makes me wonder just how much I really know about you."

"Ask me anything," Harry told the older man as he squeezed his hand across the table. "Just give me a minute to get the pudding ready."

"I'll help," Severus volunteered and followed Harry into the kitchen with his dishes in hand. He set them in the sink for the elves to deal with later before preparing a tea tray. Beside him, Harry cut a chocolate and raspberry torte and added fresh whipped cream. When they were both finished, Harry carried the tray back to the sitting room, where they sat on the sofa together to enjoy their dessert.

"This is wonderful," Severus told the younger man. "I am not usually a fan of sweets, but this pregnancy has completely changed my preferences."

"I'll keep that in mind as things progress," Harry told him. "Feel free to tell me if you need anything. Or even just want something. I'll do my best to take care of you—especially if you are confined at some point."

Severus looked completely uncomfortable with the turn in the conversation, but he nodded in acknowledgement before changing the subject. "So, what do you plan to do once you graduate?"

Harry smiled around his mouthful of torte. He took his time chewing and swallowing before he answered. "I'm studying for an apprentice assessment in January. I haven't told anyone but Molly Weasley, but I want to study how to make wands. Mr. Olivander thinks I will be good at the craft, but I still have to pass the guild's test before he can accept me officially. The apprenticeship takes at least two years, but eventually, I'd like to open a shop here in Hogsmeade. I've discussed it with Mr. Olivander, and I'll specialize in custom-made and second wands. Up to now, British wizards have had to go overseas for a custom wand."

"It sounds as though you have a clear plan for the future," Severus said, but there was a guarded tone in his voice that Harry recognized.

"After I found out for sure about the baby, I used the floo in the headmaster's office to call Olivander," Harry said. "I didn't give him any details, but I did ask how he felt about me bringing a baby with me. I figured that you couldn't keep him or her in your classes. It would be too dangerous. But there's nothing especially dangerous about a wand shop. Even the potions only react with wand wood."

"And how did he respond?" Severus asked, some of the tension leaving his voice and his body now that he recognized that Harry's plans included their child, if not Severus himself.

"He was thrilled by the idea," Harry smiled. "He said he used to bring his children to work when they were small. So, the baby can floo with me to Diagon Alley every morning and we'll be home every afternoon in time for dinner."

"What if I would like to keep the child with me?" Severus asked.

"Oh! I didn't really think you would be able to with classes and all," Harry said. "But that's fine. We can work that out, too."

"I have already spoken to Albus about changing my class schedule so that I will teach only three days a week after the Yule holidays. The other two, I will look after the baby." Severus decided.

Harry grinned. "That's great. I was a little afraid that you wouldn't want to have much to do with raising our child, but I'm glad I was wrong."

"Hmm," Severus agreed, but he hesitated before bringing up the next question. "We have discussed the child, but not our expectations for…whatever this is between us. I have to assume that eventually we will no longer feel compelled to be together."

"I think you're wrong about that," Harry said slowly, carefully choosing his words. "Dragons mate for life. Somehow I doubt that we will just stop being drawn to each other. And even if the bond, or whatever this is disappeared the day the baby was born, I don't think we could simply go back to the way things were before. At least, I don't think I could."

"You can't mean that," Severus told him. "You despise me. I despise you. That is the way of things. What makes you think that will be any different without the controlling influence of this…instinct?"

"Because I don't despise you." Harry told him quietly, shyly. "I haven't for a long time. I've respected you since second year, liked you since last fall and found you attractive since last spring…before the accident. And, dragon impulses or no dragon impulses, I don't think I can live with you for the next five months without falling hopelessly in love with you."

"I…" Severus was at a complete loss. "I…I do not despise you either," he admitted. "But I do not know how to…I have never…" Severus looked lost for a moment before closing off his emotions. "I can't do this just now. I need a shower."

When Severus abruptly left the room, Harry sighed. He knew he was probably scaring the man with his honesty, but he wasn't sure he could be anything but candid with Severus. Whether it was the dragon instincts or his own Gryffindor honor, Harry didn't want to hold anything back.

Harry warily entered their bedroom only to find that Severus was already in their bed sleeping. Harry sighed and looked longingly at the peaceful sight the Potions Master made. He was curled up on his side, his long dark hair splayed on the pillow beneath his head, and his features were softened by sleep.

Harry smiled at the sight and quietly began preparing for bed himself. After a quick shower, Harry stood uncertainly in his pajamas beside the bed. Taking a deep breath, and praying that the older man didn't hex him in the morning, Harry carefully slid under the blankets and settled in to sleep.

He had just gotten comfortable, consciously keeping a slight buffer of space between them, when Harry felt Severus shift in his sleep. The older man reached out and wrapped his arm around Harry's waist, tugging at the smaller wizard. Harry grinned and shifted back into Severus' arms, their bodies flush from shoulder to hips, before contentedly drifting off to sleep.

**HPHPHPHPHP**

Severus grumped the entire journey from their rooms to the hospital wing. Harry smiled at the older man occasionally, but ignored his need to rant. It wasn't really personal, Harry decided. Severus was just a bit disgruntled after waking up to find that he had been cuddling with Harry in his sleep. For the same reason, Harry was in an inordinately good mood. Of course, the fact that Severus had grudgingly allowed him to accompany him for his visit to Madam Pomfrey helped as well.

"Any minute now I expect you to start skipping," Severus snarled.

Instead of being insulted, Harry just laughed. "You really aren't a morning person." Before Severus could snark at him again, Harry continued. "I'm just excited. It's our child's first check up. And I'm really glad you let me come with you."

Severus harrumphed and paused just outside the hospital wing doors. "Do not make me regret my decision. I expect that you will refrain from being a nuisance or this will be the only exam you will attend."

Harry smiled, not deterred in the least. "I promise not to be a pest, but I do reserve the right to ask questions. I have a vested interest in understanding how you are doing with all this."

Severus gave Harry a sidelong glare. "You do not need to remind me that this child is yours. It is a fact that I could not forget if I tried."

"I wasn't referring to the child," Harry said before opening the door and holding it for Severus. Severus hesitated, considering Harry's response, before entering the infirmary.

"Ah, Severus, Mr. Potter, you are right on time," Madam Pomfrey said in greeting. "The headmaster saw fit to fill me in on the details of your condition last evening, so I have a private room prepared for your examination. If you'll just follow me?"

Harry, who hadn't even known that the hospital wing _had_ private rooms, followed closely behind his mate. The room they entered was decorated just like the rest of the wing: stark, white and sterile. There was only one bed with a nightstand beside it. There was a chair near the bedside, and Harry went to the chair as Severus sat on the edge of the bed.

"You'll need to take your robes off Severus," Pomfrey said. She glanced at Harry. "Perhaps you should wait outside, Mr. Potter."

Harry wanted to protest, but Severus beat him to it. "I think concern for my modesty at this point is a bit out of place Poppy. Harry is…directly involved in this…situation. I have already given my word that he could be present."

Harry noticed that Severus could not seem to actually say the words: "Harry is the father of our child." He was grateful, nonetheless, and told his mate as much.

Madam Pomfrey glanced suspiciously at Harry once more, but only said, "Very well," before leaving them to gather her gear.

Severus quickly and efficiently removed his clothing, using a spell to undo the rows of buttons—a spell Harry was now determined to learn—which adorned both his robes and waistcoat. Next came the white linen shirt and black trousers. Harry watched in fascination as each layer was removed, and found himself becoming inappropriately aroused by the sight of all that smooth pale flesh.

"Stop ogling, Potter," Severus snarled.

Harry looked up at his mate's face with a guilty flush. "Sorry." But it was rather difficult to ignore the fact that Severus was almost naked in front of him wearing only his boxers and socks, even if the medi-witch could return at any moment.

When Severus turned to lie on the exam bed, however, all of Harry's sexual thoughts were pushed aside with the sheer wonder of the child Severus was carrying inside of him. Harry had felt the changes in Severus' body and he had seen them the other night, but this was different. Almost six months pregnant now, Severus' once firm, flat belly was distended and round. In the light of the infirmary, Harry could see the silvery stretch marks that marred the once smooth skin. Without thinking, Harry reached his hand out to caress the marks.

"They are not permanent," Severus said quietly, obviously embarrassed by the imperfection. "Once the child is born, I will be able to use a salve to restore the skin."

"They're beautiful," Harry said as he continued to rub the skin of Severus' belly. Just as Harry moved to step back and wait for Madam Pomfrey at a more appropriate distance, Harry felt a jolt from the flesh beneath his hand. "What was that?"

Severus, who had been lying with his eyes closed, enjoying the caresses of his mate, now looked up at Harry and smirked. "That was your child. I have noticed that he gets a bit active when you are near. I believe he recognizes your magic, as he does not behave thusly for anyone else. Otherwise he usually just gives the occasional kick. Though I have only recognized it as such in the last couple of days."

Harry held hand to where the flutter of movement was emanating. He leaned low and placed his face on Severus' stomach and said, "Hey there baby, I'm your daddy. I can't wait to meet you."

"Well, gentlemen, are we ready?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she walked briskly back into the room. Without waiting for an answer, she shooed Harry back to his chair and began running her wand in intricate patterns over Severus' stomach. She performed several charms and diagnostic spells, but whatever they told her was a mystery to Harry. After about twenty minutes of Harry wringing his hands, Madam Pomfrey stood back with a smile on her face. "Well, then, everything seems to be in order. The baby is developing at a healthy rate and should be due around Valentine's Day. Would you like to know the gender?"

Harry and Severus shared a look, but Severus spoke first. "It is twice as likely to be a boy, since we are both male. But I do not care if you would like to know for certain."

Harry smiled at Severus before turning to Madam Pomfrey, "Please?"

"Amazingly enough, you have beaten the odds. It will be a girl," Madam Pomfrey told them with a glint of humor in her eye.

"Poppy? Are you certain?" Severus asked in amazement.

She simply laughed, "Of course I'm sure."

"Wow," Harry whispered in a daze. "Just…wow." He took a minute to come back to himself. "And Severus? Is he alright?"

Madam Pomfrey finally bestowed a genuine smile on the young wizard. "Yes Harry, Severus is doing well, all things considered. Severus, I would like to see you every two weeks for the next couple of months. Closer to term, I'll sit down with you both to discuss delivery options. And I want you to watch your sodium intake. Your blood pressure is slightly elevated, though within the normal range currently, but as the stress of the pregnancy continues, it may put undue strain upon your heart if you aren't careful."

Harry looked a bit worried at this. "Is there something I should or shouldn't be doing? Can I still use salt when I cook? Are there things we should avoid altogether?"

"A little salt will not be harmful, Harry. You may still cook with salt, but Severus should avoid over-salting at the table, a habit I have noticed over the years. Avoid salty treats, like crisps and salted nuts." She paused for a moment to let the two men absorb that information before continuing, "On the subject of diet, I will remind you that alcohol is absolutely forbidden, and your caffeine intake should be reduced. I want to see more milk than tea in your morning cuppa, Severus. You'll need the calcium, as babies have a tendency to steal the calcium from their…bearer…if they do not get enough from diet. I would also like you to take a daily nutrient potion."

Severus nodded, but Harry was already opening his mouth with another question. "What about his cravings?"

"Cravings are perfectly natural," the mediwitch assured Harry. "Most witches…and in this case wizards…have cravings. Usually spicy or sweet things. Sometimes salty or sour things. Sometimes all of the above at the same time. Unless I notice a problem, such as with Severus' blood pressure, he should be perfectly fine indulging his cravings."

Harry nodded and looked thoughtful before he blushed. Severus could almost tell what question was coming next, but wasn't quick enough to stop the boy from speaking.

"Um…what about sex," Harry asked in a very small voice.

For a moment, both men thought that the witch would not answer the question as she turned away from them and took a deep breath. But when she turned back around, her mask of professionalism was firmly in place, though her friendly demeanor was gone. 

"Sex, of any variety, should be perfectly alright, as long as it is not overly rough," Madam Pomfrey told them, a faint bush staining her cheeks. "I had assumed that this would not be an issue, since the pregnancy was the result of a potions accident."

Severus glared at her for presuming to question their private business. "If you must know, the potions accident resulted in a creature bond as well as a pregnancy, Poppy. Po—Harry is legally and magically my mate."

"Well…well, that certainly…explains a lot." Poppy sighed. "I apologize for my erroneous assumptions. However, you, Severus Snape, should have brought the creature bond to my attention earlier. What is the creature? It may make a difference in how we handle the remainder of the pregnancy and the delivery."

Harry sighed and explained the circumstances of the accident and the consequent odd behaviors that they had each experienced in the months since. When he hesitated, Severus took up the tale with Harry's creation of a nest and their consummation of Severus' acceptance of the nest.

"So, dragons," Poppy sighed. "That is certainly a first for me. If, as you say, your instincts are governing your actions regarding the child, we will definitely need to take that into consideration when we decide how to deal with the birth. And, if you do go into confinement, we can certainly manage that easily enough; I shall simply come to you for your exams and such."

Harry had his doubts about whether or not that would actually be possible if Severus did go into confinement. Not only would she be a stranger in their layer, but she would want to use foreign magic. Harry suspected that their dragon instincts might balk at that.

"Severus, have you had any symptoms that might make you believe that such a thing will actually occur?"

Harry looked at his mate and could tell that he didn't want to admit that he had indeed felt something. Severus cleared his throat and said, "I have been feeling a strong pull to our rooms any time I am not there. Even now, with Harry here, I would rather be in our rooms. So far, I have been able to exert my will over the instinct to hide, but I do not know how long I can do so."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry asked with concern.

Severus hesitated. "I did not wish to concern you."

"This does change things a bit," Madam Pomfrey said in a serious tone. "Fighting against your instincts may be the cause of the elevated blood pressure. Severus, I know that you do not wish to give in to this, but I am strongly suggesting that you start following your feelings. Your body and magic know better than your mind what is good for you. I will speak to the headmaster and let him know that he will need to find a substitute professor to fill in for you as soon as possible. Until that time, I urge you to spend as much time in your rooms as possible in order to reduce this unnecessary stress. If you aren't teaching, you need to be where you feel safe."

"I'll make sure he goes straight home after class," Harry said dutifully.

"I am not a child who needs minder," Severus huffed.

"No, you are pregnant wizard who needs his mate to take care of him," Madam Pomfrey said, her tone brooking no argument.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

After leaving the hospital wing, both wizards were silent as they made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. They were late, and so there were few students in the halls as they walked. It wasn't until they were just outside the Great Hall that Harry decided he needed to say something, so he put a hand on his mate's arm to stop him.

"I know that you don't want to be shut away, but I promise you, I will take care of you," Harry vowed. "I will do whatever it takes to make this as easy on you as it possibly can be."

Severus looked down into the green eyes of his young lover and saw the truth there. "I know that. But I am afraid that…that when I get frustrated from being locked away from the world—and I will—that I'll take out those frustrations on you and…"

Harry smiled at Severus, inwardly rejoicing that the snarky bastard was opening up to him. "Hey, I already know you can be a git. I've dealt with your moods for more than six years now. I think I can take whatever you dish out." Harry saw a small twitch of Severus' lips and knew he had lightened the man's mood slightly. "And if things get too bad, we can always take a time out from each other. You'll still have you potions. I'll still have to study. And there is more than enough room in our quarters to avoid each other for a few hours if we need to."

"You will not leave me?" The words were a whisper, barely more audible than a breath.

"I will not leave you," Harry confirmed.

Severus nodded and continued to the Great Hall, with Harry following close behind.

**HPHPHPHPHP**

"I can't believe he made the announcement at breakfast," Harry muttered later that afternoon as the Gryffindor trio made their way to Potions, their last class of the day. "He didn't even give us any warning. No…we walk into the Great Hall not suspecting that the entire room would stop and stare at us, whispering and making comments behind their hands."

"You should be used to the attention by now, mate," Ron said cheerfully.

"I am," Harry growled, a touch of the dragon rearing its head. "But my mate should not have to put up with this shit! Forget it. You can't understand."

Harry stalked off ahead of his friends, leaving Hermione to explain to Ron just how much of an insensitive jerk he was. Harry had been literally itching to see Severus all day and it had put him in a foul mood. The couple hadn't had the opportunity to discuss anything since the breakfast announcement, and Harry wanted to make sure that Severus was doing okay.

As soon as he entered the Potions classroom, Harry knew immediately that his mate was, in fact, NOT okay. Severus was slumped at his desk, his entire body radiating his weariness and stress. Harry dropped his book bag and hurried to his mate's side.

"Severus, are you okay?"

Severus looked up at Harry with tired, red-rimmed eyes, small beads of sweat dotting his forehead and upper lip. "No, I don't believe I am."

"Are you in pain?" Harry asked.

Severus shook his head. "Just weak. And so very tired."

Just then, Hermione and Ron walked through the door to the classroom. Harry turned to them and began rattling off instructions. "Hermione, I need you to inform the other students that class is cancelled for today. Ron, I want you to go get Madam Pomfrey and ask if she will meet us in our rooms. Hermione, once all the students know, I need you to go tell the headmaster what is happening. I'm going to help Severus to our rooms."

The other two nodded and went off to do as instructed. Harry turned back to his mate and saw a flicker of amusement in Severus' eyes before they turned dull once again.

"Can you walk? Let me help you up." Harry fretted and fussed the entire journey. He was glad he had been able to link their rooms to Severus' office, because it made the trip back quick and fairly painless. Once they reached their sitting room, Severus refused to go any further.

"I don't want them in our room," he insisted wearily. "Only out here."

Harry nodded and helped Severus onto the sofa. Once the pregnant man was comfortable, Harry went to their bedroom and grabbed a couple of extra pillows and a soft comforter along with Severus' pajamas.

"Let's get you undressed and comfortable before Madam Pomfrey gets here" Harry said once he had returned. In minutes, Severus was changed and tucked under the comforter, with his head nestled into the pillows. He was asleep by the time Madam Pomfrey knocked at their door.

"I didn't expect I would need to make a house call quite this soon," Madam Pomfrey said lightly as she entered the room. "Can you tell me what is wrong?"

"I found him slumped at his desk when I went to class," Harry said. "He wasn't in pain, just completely weak and exhausted."

"Hmm," was the only response Harry got for several minutes while the witch examined her patient, careful not to wake him. "It seems that my earlier assessment was spot on. The stress of denying himself this sanctuary has worn him out completely."

"But he's been doing fine up to now," Harry said. "Why would it come on like this, so suddenly?"

"I am sure that the added stress of this morning's announcement, as well as his students' reactions to said announcement, exacerbated the situation," Madam Pomfrey told the worried young man. "Without your presence to mitigate the stress, it became overwhelming."

Harry nodded, feeling guilty now that he hadn't insisted that they at least have lunch together so that he could check up on his mate. "What do we do now?"

Before the mediwitch could answer, another knock sounded at the door. Harry let the headmaster, Ron and Hermione into the quarters and led them to the dining area, away from Severus. He urged them to keep quiet so as not to disturb Severus' rest.

"How is he, Poppy?" Dumbledore asked, concern marring his usually cheerful countenance.

"As I was just telling Harry, he is exhausted," Poppy replied smartly. "We have already discussed my concerns over letting Severus continue teaching, and his collapse today simply proves that I am right."

Dumbledore nodded. "I will personally take over Potions until Pemberton can get here next week."

"Severus will not like us deciding this for him," Harry warned the others.

"Perhaps, but if he puts up too much of a fuss, blame me," Dumbledore smiled.

"Something that Severus said this morning makes me believe that Harry's presence is beneficial to his physical wellbeing," Poppy added. "It is my opinion that Harry should be with Severus as much as possible. I believe that the baby is siphoning magic from his parents, when Harry is not present, Severus is the only one she can feed from, weakening him both magically and physically."

Hermione nodded at this. "I read something similar in my research on Dragon mating habits. The texts say that baby dragons, unlike wizard babies, use their parents' magic to develop their own, which is why dragons are so strong both physically and magically. When the mother dragon is in confinement, the father dragon rarely leaves her side. Dragon researchers thought at first it was for protection, but later realized that it was much more than that."

"So I'll have to stay in as well?" Harry asked.

"The only time the father leaves the nest is when he is hunting for food," Hermione said sheepishly.

Harry nodded, "Yeah, alright. That's okay. It also explains why I wanted to get to him all day. I hated being away from him."

"I will arrange for your professors to tutor you in the evenings," Dumbledore told Harry.

Harry nodded again. "I think as long as it's only an hour or two, I should meet the professors in their offices. I'm not sure how I feel about having so many people in our rooms. I'm having a hard enough time with just the four of you. Oh! Madam Pomfrey, we are going to have some trouble with the delivery, since the nest is in our bedroom."

"What do you mean?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"He knew that you were coming to see him and insisted on staying out here," Harry said. "He doesn't want anyone else in our bedroom. And since the nest is in there…"

Poppy nodded in understanding. "We'll figure something out. Try not to worry."

"So, he just needs to sleep?" Harry asked. "Then he'll be alright?"

"I would suggest that you take him to bed and stay there with him," Poppy told him. "Let the baby absorb some of your magic for a while so that Severus can recover. A good sleep will do him wonders, but I'd like him on bed rest for at least two days. I will come back in the morning to check up on him."

"Good, good," Dumbledore said, the twinkle back in his eye. "Then I believe we should all leave these two alone so that Severus can get his rest."

Harry ushered their guests out and returned to the sitting room to find Severus watching him with tired eyes. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough to know that your daughter is a leach," Severus snarked weakly. "And that I'm officially on maternity leave."

"That's most everything," Harry nodded. "Come on, let's get you into bed and let the leach bleed my magic for a bit."

Severus slowly sat up and allowed Harry to help him to their room. "That's the best offer I've had today." In moments, the two men were snuggled up together for a long nap.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

"I do not see why that…that…_woman_…insists upon treating me like a child! I have been taking care of myself for a number of years," Severus growled at Harry two days later. "I am fine now. The child is not draining my resources any more than she is yours. If you are allowed up and about, I do not see why I should be stuck in this bed!"

Harry had to bite back his amusement. Severus Snape was not a patient man under the best of circumstances. Being put on bed rest was certainly trying what little patience he had.

"We've been over this," Harry reminded his mate. "She told us that while you may _feel_ fine, your magic has not had enough time to build back up to acceptable levels yet. When it has, you will be able to go make potions or read in the study, or do whatever it is you wish. Until then, you have to rest."

Severus looked away from Harry, sulking as he stared out their bedroom window that overlooked the main courtyard.

"Is there anything I can get for you?" Harry tried to placate his moody mate. "I've got to get to my tutoring session in a few minutes, but if you're hungry, or need something, I'm happy to help."

Severus looked down at his hands as his fingers twisted in the bedclothes. Harry was about to give up and leave when Severus finally looked up at him. "I…I would like to look at those catalogues you have been trying to shove at me for the past two days."

Harry gave Severus a blinding smile. "Alright. Maybe, if you find something you like, we could look at them together when I get back? And we can share what's left of the chocolate gateau."

Severus looked very interested at the mention of the dessert Harry had made for him the previous day. "And some hot peppers?"

"If you like," Harry chuckled.

"Alright, since you insist." Severus made it sound as though he was doing Harry a favor by agreeing. "You should get to your session. What is it tonight?"

"Potions," Harry laughed as he walked into the sitting room to fetch the catalogues. "I can't wait to see what the headmaster has planned. According to Hermione, he's a complete disaster at the subject."

Harry returned to find Severus frowning. "Please don't remind me. The man may be a genius at many things, but he is almost as bad as Longbottom when it comes to Potions. The only thing keeping me sane at this point is the knowledge that Charlus Pemberton will take over next week."

"Well, here are the catalogues," Harry said, setting the stack on the bed beside Severus. "There's a parchment there with a list of things I thought we'll need, and references to things I liked. If you find anything, just jot it down. We can compare later."

"I'm sure that I can figure it out," Severus drawled.

Harry paused to look at his mate once more, always reluctant to leave, even just for the two hours each evening he had lessons. "Do you need tea or more water in your pitcher before I go?"

Severus looked at his mate and could read his hesitation. "Just go. The sooner you go, the sooner you can return. It will not get any easier for either of us with you hovering over me like this."

Harry sighed. "You're right. I'll be back in two hours." Harry went to the door and looked back once more before leaving the bedroom. He gathered his books and left their rooms before he could lose momentum.

**HPHPHPHPHP**

Harry carefully added the final ingredient to his cauldron and looked up to Headmaster Dumbledore for confirmation.

"That's right, Harry," Dumbledore smiled.

Harry shook his head in bewilderment. "Sir, if I may ask…?"

"What does making chicken curry have to do with potions?"

"Yes sir," Harry nodded as he wiped his hands on a towel.

Dumbledore twinkled at his favorite student. "The preparation techniques do translate quite well from cooking to potions. But…Honestly? I have had entirely too many exploding cauldrons for one day. I could not face the thought of being covered in yet another failed potion. Not that I don't have faith in your abilities, my boy."

"That's fine. I'll put a preservation charm on it and we can eat it for dinner tomorrow," Harry grinned. "Severus will love this. He's got serious cravings for spicy foods right now. I'd almost run out of dishes I could spice up for him."

"I have a lovely recipe book that was given to me by a former student, if you would like it," Dumbledore offered kindly. "I'm sure you will get more use from it than I ever will. The house elves never let me anywhere near the kitchens anymore."

"Why is that?" Harry asked curiously.

Dumbledore actually blushed. "That is a story for another day…On a completely different subject, how are you and Severus getting on?"

"Fine, sir," Harry said as he stared into the cauldron. He looked up after a few minutes. "We're getting on a lot better than I would have ever believed before all this happened. Severus is…well, he's Severus. But that's not such a bad thing. He can be sarcastic and caustic and mean when he chooses to be. But…when he's like that, I think he's actually trying to hide what he's really feeling."

"And what is he hiding?" Dumbledore asked, interested to see if Harry really could read his mate so well already.

Harry looked up at the headmaster and gave a laugh. "He'd hate that we're discussing him like this."

"Yes he would," Dumbledore smiled back.

"Okay," Harry sighed. "He hides his insecurities, his fears, and hurts behind a mask of snarkiness that makes most people steer clear of him, but in truth, he's just like the rest of us: he wants to be loved and accepted."

"Very good," the headmaster said, nodding.

"When we're alone, though," Harry said, "he's not like that anymore. At times he still gets his dander up, but it's…_he's_… more genuine now. I can tell the difference between when he's really mad and when he's afraid of being rejected. And he doesn't yell as much as he used to."

"He's beginning to trust you."

"Yes," Harry murmured. "And that's a lot of pressure. I can't let him down or he might never trust anyone again."

Dumbledore studied Harry for a long moment. "For what it's worth, I believe that he could not have chosen a better person trust with his heart."

"You make it sound like—"

"Isn't it?" Dumbledore gave Harry a pointed look. "Just because your relationship began as one thing doesn't mean that it cannot become so much more. I know that you believe that, or else you would not be making the effort that you have been. Is it so hard to believe that Severus may hold the same hopes?"

"No," Harry whispered. "No, it's not. But sometimes I'm afraid too."

"Sometimes we all are," Dumbledore assured. "Now, I do believe that your chicken curry is about ready for a preservation charm. Then I'm sure you'll want to get back to Severus."

"Yeah, we have a nursery to decorate," Harry grinned. "He finally agreed to help me look through the catalogues."

**HPHPHPHPHP**

Four weeks later, Severus was back to his normal self, albeit a more mellow self than even he could recognize. Being confined, while limiting in many respects, had is advantages. For the first time in years, he had time to simply research and experiment with new potions, to read, to spend a quiet evening with his mate by the fire talking about the future…He even found he enjoyed cooking with Harry.

Harry, for his part, was taking both his responsibility to Severus and his studies very seriously. The two men had fallen into a routine. They would rise early and share breakfast together, then Harry would work on his studies—sometimes making short trips to the library—while Severus worked in his lab. Harry would then take lunch in the Great Hall, in order to spend some time with his peers. In the afternoons, the two often spent time together preparing for the baby or playing chess. Sometimes Severus would help Harry with his studies. They cooked and ate dinner together before Harry went to his evening lessons. When he returned, Harry and Severus would sit by the fire, discussing his lesson, or simply chatting, before retiring to their bed for the night.

In that time, Harry had not made a move to extend their relationship beyond the intimate friendship they had found, a fact that had at first been a relief to the older wizard. But as time, proximity and hormones worked to relax Severus' inhibitions, Harry's disinterest became more and more frustrating to Severus. He had thought that Harry wanted their relationship to be more than what it was. He had hoped…

And therein lay the problem. Severus had allowed himself to hope for more than he felt he deserved. So as time wore on, he became sure that Harry simply was not attracted to him. And really, who could be attracted to a man like him? If his greasy hair and undernourished appearance wasn't enough to deter a sane man, his oversized nose and snarky attitude certainly would. And now…at seven months pregnant, he was beginning to resemble an adder that had swallowed a beach ball.

"Would you like a little music tonight?" Harry asked as he carried the tea tray into the sitting room. He took his usual seat at the opposite end of the sofa from Severus and began to pour their tea. "Hermione gave us a radio so that we could listen to the Wizarding Wireless Network. Wasn't that nice?"

"Hmm, yes," Severus agreed. "I suppose that music…Damn it!"

Harry was startled by Severus' abrupt rise from the sofa and nearly toppled the tray from the tea table. Severus began pacing the room like a caged cat and Harry could do nothing but watch his casual grace, even at six months pregnant. But something was clearly concerning his mate, so Harry pulled himself together and approached the lion, as it were.

"Severus? What's wrong?" Harry asked warily as he walked over to where Severus had halted in front of the fire.

"This! Everything!" Severus ranted. "We sit and drink tea like this is NORMAL! Well, it's not! And I won't do it anymore!"

"What? Drink tea?" Harry was truly confused. He knew that Severus' hormones could act up, but the man before him was behaving completely irrationally.

"Damn the tea!" Severus snapped.

"Severus, please, calm down," Harry tried again. "Come sit down and let me rub your feet. That always makes you feel better. Then you can tell me what is wrong. Okay?"

"Do not try to placate me!" Severus screamed and Harry cringed. He was glad that Severus had given up carrying his wand around their rooms because of the baby's drain on his magic. Otherwise, he was sure that he would have been hexed by now. "I don't want to do this anymore!"

"Severus!" Harry shouted, getting a bit upset now. "You need to calm down and talk to me!"

"Talk? You want to talk? That's all we do is talk!" Severus ranted, pacing once more. "We talk over meals. We talk about your studies. We talk about the baby. We talk, talk, and talk some more… but where does that get us? I'll tell you! Nowhere! I'm done talking!"

Severus stormed to the bedroom door and paused. "And until you get tired of talking too, you can just sleep on the sofa!" With that, he slammed and locked the bedroom door.

Harry fell onto the sofa and groaned. "What the hell was all that about?"

**HPHPHPHPHP**

"He said he's tired of talking," Harry told Hermione two days later. She had run into Harry on one of his morning Library trips and had badgered him into telling her what was wrong. Apparently, the dark circles under his eyes and his miserable demeanor had given her the idea that he had a problem. "He told me I should sleep on the sofa until I was tired of talking too. And he hasn't spoken to me since. I'm really starting to worry. I thought at first that it was just a hormone thing, but it's been two days…"

Hermione looked at her friend shrewdly. "Harry…I'm not sure how to phrase this delicately, so I'm just going to ask. Have you and Severus slept together at all since he accepted the nest?"

"Yeah, we sleep together every night," Harry told her. "At least until he kicked me out of the bedroom."

"No, Harry, not…I mean, have you had sex since that first night?" Hermione asked. "Have you kissed or snogged or…or whatever…since then?"

"Hermione! I can't believe you of all people would ask me that!"

"Please, Harry. This is important," Hermione pleaded.

Harry glared at her, but eventually shook his head. "No. I thought we should take our time and really get to know each other before we did any of those things."

"Have you told Severus that's what you are doing?" Hermione asked.

"Wait," Harry said, holding up a hand. "You think that Severus is in a two day snit because I haven't _**shagged**_ him?"

Hermione sighed. "I thought you had read those books I gave you on pregnancy? Harry, all pregnant people have hormone fluctuations, some of which include intense sexual urges. So yes, I do think that Severus might be in a snit because he wants a shag. Add to that your lack of communication skills and his insecurities about your relationship and its future, and you get one hell of a pissed off Potions Master."

Harry stared at his best friend for long minutes before letting his head fall hard onto the library table. "I'm an idiot."

"Yes you are," Hermione teased and rubbed the back of Harry's neck. "But we love you anyway. Now go fix this."

Harry gathered his books and shoved them into his bag before bending to place a kiss on the top of Hermione's head. "Thanks." And then he was dashing from the library with Madam Pince's reprimand's echoing down the corridor after him.

**HPHPHPHPHP**

"Severus!" Harry shouted as soon as he reached their rooms. He had run all the way from the library, but had taken a moment before he entered to calm his breathing and to gather his thoughts before confronting his mate. "Severus, where are you?"

Moments later, Severus appeared, scowling, at their bedroom door.

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it. There would be time to talk later. Right now, he needed to act. In quick strides, Harry was in front of his mate and taking him in his arms. He never gave Severus time to protest. Instead, Harry claimed Severus' lips with a passion that neither man recognized. Harry's tongue invaded Severus' mouth, searching and exploring, thrusting in a way that made Severus' cock take immediate interest in the proceedings.

It took all of Severus' resolve to push Harry away, but he managed. "Why now?"

Harry met Severus' searching eyes and said, "Because I'm tired of talking, too. We will discuss this, have no doubt. But now…now isn't the time. Now, I want to kiss you and lick you and show you just how much I love your body, all swollen with our child. I want to make you pant and moan and scream out my name. I want to fuck you Severus, have wanted to for a long time, but, more than that, I want to make love to you. Will you let me do that?" Harry gave Severus time to process all that he had said, but when Severus nodded Harry smiled and led his lover into their bedroom and shut the door.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

The next morning, Harry woke early, but instead of getting up, he simply lay in bed enjoying the feeling of his mate in his arms. Their joining the night before had been magnificent. Harry had shown Severus with his body everything that his heart was feeling but his mind wasn't yet ready to share. For hours, they had loved each other, first in their bed, then in the bathtub, and then back in bed again. Harry had lavished Severus' with attention and love. And Severus had given back to Harry as much as his swollen belly would allow.

Now, as the first light of dawn peeked through their bedroom windows, Harry ran his fingers through Severus' hair and basked in the warmth of this new stage of their relationship. He hoped that Severus would want to continue things beyond the birth of their child, but he had no guarantees. So Harry resolved to enjoy every moment that he had with his mate and worry about the future when it came.

"Mmmm," Severus moaned lightly as he shifted in his sleep and rubbed his morning erection against Harry's hip. Harry, glad to encourage his mate's desires, pulled Severus tighter to him and began stroking his back and rocking his own hips slowly. "Want you." Severus murmured, still half asleep.

"You can have me," Harry replied softly. "Anything you want is yours."

Severus stretched and groaned as his aching muscles protested after their night of vigorous love-making. "As much as the idea of taking you appeals, I do not believe that my back can do so with all this extra weight around my middle. So you shall just have to take care of my needs while I lay back and enjoy the ride."

There was a smirk on Severus' face as he finally sat up and looked at his lover. Harry smiled back at him and said, "I'm happy to see to your needs. And if you want a turn on top, I'm sure we could find a way. I could ride you."

Severus took a moment to contemplate the picture Harry's offer brought to mind. Harry would be quite lovely straddling Severus' and riding his cock with abandon… But Severus was rather enjoying being bottom to Harry's top, something he would have never admitted to in the past. Harry took great care of Severus' needs in and out of the bedroom and Severus was, for once in his life, quite happy to let someone else take care of him.

"No, I don't think so," Severus said. "I think I want to feel you inside me again this morning, and every morning."

Harry nodded and pulled Severus closer. "I'll always take care of you, as long as you want me."

Harry leaned in and kissed Severus, deep and long, before adjusting them both so that they were laying on their sides, Severus' back to Harry's front. Harry hooked his hand under Severus' knee and guided it forward, leaving his entrance open and available to Harry. Harry made quick work of preparing his mate and was soon thrusting and rocking into his lover. Severus' soft moans soon turned to the whimpers and whines that indicated that he was going to come. Harry reached his hand around Severus, taking a moment to stroke the agitated baby bump, and took Severus in hand. Soon they were both groaning their release.

**HPHPHPHPHP**

"Why didn't you just tell me what was bothering you?" Harry asked some time later, as the two sat cuddled together on the sofa before a roaring fire. On the tea table were the remnants of their late breakfast.

Severus was quiet for a moment before answering Harry. "When we first moved in here together, you said that you believed that we would continue our relationship even after the child was born. I scoffed at the time, but I was… hopeful that you might be right. But when you made no move to deepen our relationship, I became convinced that I was being foolish. Why would an attractive and powerful young man such as you want to be with me? I could find no logical reason. But the hope was still there, and the longer we spent together… Well, let us just say that I do not express my emotions very well. I tend to revert to anger when I feel insecure, and this… us… _you_ make me very insecure."

"I'm sorry," Harry said sincerely. "I never meant to make you feel unsure of my feelings or commitment to this relationship. I was attempting to give us time to get to know one another better. I thought that since we had been forced into this by circumstance we might benefit from taking things slowly for a bit. As Hermione rightly pointed out to me, I should have discussed it with you."

"Yes," Severus agreed. "But I am glad that we have gotten to know each other. I… I'm not sure I would have ever given up my preconceived notions of your character without being forced to do so by the bond. But these past weeks, the time we have spent together has shown me that you are not the man I thought you to be. You are so much more than I could have ever hoped to find in a mate and a lover."

"You are everything I have dreamed of," Harry told Severus. "And you are giving me the family I have always longed for… Even if there was nothing else to recommend you, that alone would make me love you. But you are so much more… You are smart and witty and clever. And you are sexier than you know. Especially with your belly all swollen with our child."

"You are out of your mind," Severus scoffed, but inside, his heart melted. If he had not been in love with Harry before…

**HPHPHPHPHP**

Time moved along. Slowly for Severus, who was beginning to feel the constant strain on his body from the pregnancy. Midway through January, Poppy once again restricted the Potions Master's activities. He was only allowed to be on his feet for half an hour at a time, with long rests with his feet elevated in between. This made brewing and potions research almost impossible. It did, however, encourage the wizard to spend some long overdue time with his personal reading list, and he continued to help Harry with dinner each evening. He also began taking knitting lessons from Hermione, much to Harry's bemusement. All in all, Severus was enjoying the domestic life, though he would rather have been able to spend some time in his lab.

Harry, on the other hand, felt like time was slipping away from him at an alarming rate. Between his studies, meeting with Poppy to discuss how they would deal with the birth, getting the nursery finished, and doing everything in his power to make sure Severus' every need was met, Harry was exhausted.

And right in the middle of everything else, he had to go to London to take his apprenticeship exams.

That had been a very trying and tiring day. He got permission from the headmaster to open their floo so that he could come back home every time he had a break in the testing. Even if it was only ten minutes at a time, he and Severus both felt better for it. By the end of the eight hour exams, however, the couple were thoroughly exhausted; Harry from running back and forth, and Severus from the strain of being without his mate for too long. When they finally got to bed that night, the two men ended up sleeping for almost 18 hours straight.

Once the exams were over and Harry finished the nursery, his life settled down to more manageable speeds. Severus, however, was just beginning to get impatient for the coming of their child and was losing his temper on a regular basis.

"Damn it Harry!" Severus shouted from the chaise lounge that Harry had recently purchased for him. "I told you I wanted pecans in my biscuits"

Harry, who was preparing their dinner, looked out from the kitchen and sighed. "Poppy said no more nuts. I'm sorry Severus."

"I am sick of this shite!" Severus yelled and threw the plate of cookies that Harry had baked especially for him. "I don't want to be pregnant any more! I want this leach out of me, and I want her out NOW!"

Severus struggled to get up from the low chaise, a sight that would have been humorous if not for the fact that Severus was truly upset. Harry sighed and went to offer his mate a hand up. Severus glared at him and his outstretched hand for a long minute before realizing that, mad or not, he wasn't likely to be able to get up without assistance.

"Just because I'm letting you help me up does not mean that I am not still angry," Severus huffed, and Harry bit back a smile. Severus was soon on his feet and waddling towards their bedroom. Harry turned to pick up the broken plate and the cookie crumbs, but Severus had other ideas. "Leave that for later. Poppy said that energetic sex sometimes triggers labor, so you are going to fuck me now. Hard and fast. Well? What are you waiting for? Get in here!"

**HPHPHPHPHP**

By the second week in February Harry was as ready as Severus to welcome their child into the world. The longer the pregnancy went on—and they were now almost a week past Severus' due date—the more frustrated the Potions Master became. And the more frustrated Severus got, the more he took his frustrations out on Harry. The mood swings alone could drive a sane man around the bend.

"Please Harry, there has to be something that will induce labor," Severus pleaded.

"Not that have been tested with a male pregnancy," Harry sighed. He was sitting on their bed and rubbing Severus' legs. He was prone to getting leg cramps in the night, but a massage before bed seemed to prevent the worst of them. "We've discussed this before. There is no way to know how one of those potions would affect you or the baby."

Severus looked away from Harry, but the younger man could tell he was trying to hide his tears.

"Do you want to try sex again?" Harry asked, half dreading the answer. At Severus' insistence, they had been having what Severus called 'vigorous sex' twice a day for two weeks with no results. It wasn't that Harry minded the sex, but dealing with Severus' disappointment afterward was always difficult.

"No," Severus sighed and scooted down in the bed. "I'm tired. I just want to go to sleep."

Harry smiled encouragingly at his mate and climbed into bed beside him. Once he had Severus in his arms, he said, "I know it seems like this will never end, but it really won't be much longer. And I'll keep doing everything I can to make you as comfortable as possible until that time comes."

"Thank you," Severus mumbled into Harry's chest. "I know that you are doing your best and I have not made things easy for you, but I do appreciate all that you have done these past months."

"I was happy to do it for you, Severus," Harry assured his mate, leisurely stroking his fingers through fine ebony hair. "You've done so much for me; it was a pleasure to be able to do for you."

"Mmmhhmmm," Severus breathed, already mostly asleep. "Love you."

Harry smiled in the darkness. "I love you too." But Severus didn't hear.

**HPHPHPHPHP**

Severus slept late the next day and Harry didn't have the heart to wake him. In the last few weeks, sleep had become difficult for Severus because of the size of his belly, the pains in his back, the leg cramps and the baby's seemingly constant movements. When he did finally emerge from their bedroom around noon, Severus was a bundle of energy, waving off Harry's protests as he began to clean the nursery. By early evening, Severus had cleaned the nursery, the sitting room, their bedroom and the bathroom. Harry drew the line at the study and Severus' lab.

"I don't see why you won't allow me to clean the other rooms," Severus huffed as he gulped down more food than Harry had seen him eat in one sitting for weeks. "I feel better today than I have in months. And it's all down to a good night's sleep. How was your Transfiguration lesson today? Have you completed the Animagus transformation yet?"

Harry was slow to answer, still reeling from the complete turn around his mate had made in the last twenty-four hours. "Um, no. Professor McGonagall thinks I've got a block for some reason. She thinks it'll take something extreme to get past whatever is holding me back." Harry shrugged, not overly concerned with the setback. He knew he would do it eventually, but it wasn't the most important thing in his life right now.

"Let me clear the table," Severus said, already shifting from the chair and using the table to get to his feet. He had collected their plates and was halfway to the kitchen before Harry could object. Harry shook his head in bemusement while he gathered the remaining dishes. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he almost missed when Severus paused in the doorway, his whole body tensing briefly and a small grimace on his face. After a moment, he took a deep breath and continued back to the table to wipe it down.

Harry didn't say anything. Instead, he carried his dishes to the sink and added them to the ones already there. Once they were finished tidying up from dinner, Severus and Harry settled on the sofa to read, as was their habit. A few minutes later, Severus tensed again. Harry let it go again, but determined to keep track of how often the pains were coming. He knew from his long discussions with Poppy that labor would be a long process, so he was not in a hurry to call the mediwitch. And since Severus seemed content to ignore the pain for the time being, he would too.

They read for a couple of hours, and Harry noted that the pains were still about twenty minutes apart. So when Severus said he was going to bed, Harry kissed him and told him he would join him in a few minutes. Once Severus was out of the room, Harry placed a firecall to the hospital wing.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Potter?" Poppy asked as soon as the fire flared.

"Severus has been having contractions for a few hours now," Harry told her. "I'm not sure when they started since he hasn't said, but they're about twenty minutes apart right now. He's gone to bed, but I expect that we'll need your assistance before morning."

"I'll await your call, then," Poppy said. "It would be a good idea for you to get some rest while you can, as well, Harry. This may prove to be a long night."

"I'm on my way to bed now," Harry assured her. "Thanks."

When Harry entered their bedroom, he was not surprised to find that Severus had curled up in the nest, rather than their bed. Harry smiled as he watched his mate sleeping. Shaking himself, Harry stripped off his robes and had soon joined his mate in slumber.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **I was scolded for leaving you all hanging last chapter... Well :P It was better to break there than in the middle of the birth! This is the next to last chapter, so tomorrow I'll post the end. Hope you all enjoy! Jules

**Part 7**

It wasn't long before Severus was shaking Harry awake again. In fact, it seemed to Harry as though he had only just drifted to sleep, but the way the sky outside their window was beginning to lighten from black to deep indigo indicated that they had actually slept for several hours. Harry looked into Severus' eyes and could sense both the pain and the fear his mate was experiencing.

"I'll call Poppy," Harry said and quickly rose to his feet, pulling on his robes even as he made his way to the floo.

Severus studied Harry's back as he left and was grateful that, however they had ended up together, he had this strong young man to lean on right now. It wasn't long before Harry was back, carefully climbing back into the nest beside him.

"How are you feeling?" Harry asked.

Severus panted through another contraction before answering. "Like a bludger is trying to fight it's way out of my gut."

Harry chuckled and gently smoothed the wrinkles from Severus forehead with a caress. "Poppy will be here in a minute. We've gone over everything a hundred times. She's taught me how to do the spells and how to help you as much as possible. And she'll be in the next room if we need help."

Severus gripped Harry's hand tightly as another pain hit with breathtaking intensity. "Can we just get on with it? This is not a good feeling."

Just then they heard the floo flare and seconds later Poppy was standing in the doorway to their room, her medical bag in hand. "How far apart are the contractions now?"

"About every two minutes," Harry told her, not leaving Severus' side. "I got all the potions and other supplies ready last night, so we're ready to go when you say it's okay."

"Harry!" Severus shouted as pain swept through his body and centered around his abdomen. "Please!"

Harry turned his attention back to his mate and attempted to sooth him. Whispering soft words of encouragement, Harry ran his fingers through Severus' hair, now matted with sweat. "I've got to get up to get the potions, Severus." Harry said calmly. Severus' only response was a whimper, so Harry moved to the nightstand where he had placed the necessary items.

"Okay, Severus, first things first. I need you to take this potion. It will allow your body to create the birth canal."

"I know what it bloody well does! I made the fucking potion!" Severus was gritting his teeth with pain and an overwhelming anger that he could not really control.

Harry didn't seem to notice the anger; he simply held the vial to Severus' lips and waited for him to drink the potion. When the first was gone, Harry held the pain relieving potion up to his mate's lips. It wasn't as strong as a regular pain relief potion, but it would dull the pain a bit. The third vial contained an invigorating draught to help Severus keep up his strength through the potentially long labor. Harry had a few of those, and thought he might need one himself before too long.

Harry could tell when the pain reliever kicked in because Severus seemed to melt back into the nest. "How long is this going to take? I feel like I've been at this for days already."

"No one can predict how long it will take," Poppy told them from the doorway, still careful to keep outside of the room. "A human female giving birth can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days. Of course dragons usually lay their eggs rather quickly, but it can take years for the egg to hatch. Since you aren't hatching an egg like a dragon would, we can assume that your labor will be more like that of a witch than a dragon."

"Which means we just don't know," Harry summed up.

"I want this child out of me before she reaches adolescence!" Severus growled, another wave of pain washing through him.

"You need to check that his birth canal formed properly, and measure his dilation," Poppy reminded Harry. Harry bent over Severus and helped him shift his nightshirt up over his swollen belly and positioned his legs so that he could see the birth canal.

"Oh wow," Harry gasped.

"What?" Severus asked with a hint of fear and embarrassment in his voice.

"Nothing bad," Harry reassured. "The canal is forming just like it should. It's just…well different. Poppy, he's about six centimeters dilated already."

"It won't be long then," Poppy said from the doorway. "Severus, you're going to want to push soon, but I need you to wait until Harry tells you that you are ten centimeters."

"I want this child out of me," Severus hissed as he tried to breathe through another contraction.

"I know what you want," Poppy said from the safety of the other room. "I also know that pushing before then will only wear you and the baby out and not accomplish anything. So do as you are told."

Severus snarled again, but didn't say anything. For the next three hours Poppy paced, occasionally going to the floo to update the headmaster on the situation, while Harry tried to make Severus as comfortable as possible and Severus ranted and hissed at them both in turn. Every so often, Harry would lift Severus' nightshirt and check his progress. It was about nine in the morning when Harry finally declared that Severus was dilated enough to proceed.

"Alright Severus, on the next contraction, I want you to push," Poppy instructed as Harry helped prop Severus up with several pillows and positioned his bent legs in such a way as to make things easier for his mate. Severus grabbed his ankles and when the next contraction struck, he grunted and hissed with the strain of pushing his child out into the world.

"That's great Severus," Harry said once the contraction had passed. "I can see her head. She has dark hair like us." Severus didn't have time to respond because another contraction had hit and he was once again putting all his effort into pushing. Two contractions later and Harry said, "One more and I think her head will be free."

True enough, on the next contraction Severus could feel a slight ease in the pressure against the birth canal as the baby's head slid free. He didn't have time to celebrate the achievement, however as Harry was barking instructions at him. One more big push should free the shoulders and Harry would be able to help her the rest of the way. Finally. Severus geared himself up while Harry stared down at the face of his daughter. She was beautiful, even covered in blood and slime.

One push, one scream of utter frustration and pain, and one gasp later, their daughter was born.

"She's beautiful Severus," Harry whispered, awe in his voice. The baby was cradled in his arms, but had not yet cried.

"Harry, you need to clear her airway. Here, let me," Poppy said as she unthinkingly took a step into the room.

Two heads swung to face her and four eyes lit with an eerie magical glow watched her in fury. "Get out!" both men cried together, but their voices were unrecognizable and barely human. The sound was part hiss, part shriek. Poppy quickly retreated from the room and went to the floo to call the headmaster.

Harry looked back at his daughter and carefully waved his wand over her mouth to clear the mucus from her nose and throat so she could breath. She gave a startled shudder and began to cry.

"Hush little one," Harry cooed. "You are safe here."

"Give me my daughter," Severus growled.

Harry smiled at his mate and carefully handed their daughter over to him before turning his attention to cleaning away the mess from the birth. It took several cleaning charms to get rid of the blood. He then began performing the healing spells on Severus that madam Pomfrey had taught him to repair any tearing that might have occurred during the birth. His final task was to retrieve the vials of potion for Severus which contained the stronger pain reliever and the potion to return Severus' body back to its normal state.

When Harry was finally able to settle down beside his mate and relax, he saw that Severus had been cleaning their daughter with one of the sheets from their nest and the water Harry had conjured for Severus. Neither man was prepared to use magic on their daughter yet, so water would have to suffice for the time.

"She's settled down," Harry commented as he watched Severus continue to stroke and dry their daughter gently.

"She'll be hungry soon," Severus said, exhaustion evident in his tone.

"You should rest," Harry said. "Sleep while she's sleeping. Feeding time will come soon enough."

Harry waited until Severus was asleep, their daughter still cradled in his arms and swaddled in a pashmina wrap, before he rose and went to the sitting room to see Poppy. He found her sipping tea with the headmaster at the dining table.

"They are both sleeping," Harry sighed as he took a seat and accepted the tea Poppy handed him. "I don't think either of us will be ready for visitors anytime soon."

"You did very well," Poppy said. "I apologize for overstepping earlier, but the reaction from both you and Severus was a bit unsettling."

Harry nodded. "I know. And we will surely discuss it, but I'm going to ask you both to leave now. Now that the baby is here, even having you out here is making me very jittery. I don't think our time of confinement is over quite yet."

Poppy and the headmaster both nodded sagely and rose to leave. Dumbledore paused by the entrance of their rooms and asked, "You will stay in contact, won't you? Let us know how they are both doing? Let us know if you need anything?"

Harry nodded. "I'll firecall you later, after we have had some time to rest."

"Oh, Harry, one last thing," the headmaster said. "This came for you in this morning's post. I thought you would like to read it." At Harry's confused look, he explained, "The results of your apprenticeship tests."

"Thank you," Harry smiled and took the sealed parchment. "Severus and I will look at it later."

Once their visitors were gone, Harry returned to the bedroom and crawled beside his mate and their daughter and fell asleep.

**HPHPHPHPHP**

"This is very…odd," Severus muttered a couple hours later as their daughter latched onto his nipple for the very first time.

"We could go back to our original plan to feed her with formula," Harry shrugged. It had been a surprise to him when Severus had insisted on feeding their daughter naturally. They had discussed it several times once they realized his breasts were changing to accommodate the baby like the rest of his body, and Severus had always insisted that breastfeeding was too female a trait and he would not do it. Upon hearing their daughter cry out in hunger, however, it seemed as if his instincts had taken over and he had ignored the bottle Harry prepared and brought the baby to his nipple.

"No, breast milk is healthier for her," Severus said, repeating Harry's earlier arguments. "And I will be able to bond with her more readily this way."

"We need a name for her," Harry said, letting the other issue go. "Have you thought of anything?"

"I thought perhaps we could name her after our mothers," Severus said.

"I like Lily and Eileen, but I think she should have her own identity as well," Harry said. "What about Magdalene Lily Eileen Snape?"

"Potter," Severus corrected.

"But I thought—"

"There is nothing about the Snape nape that should be preserved," Severus said. "She will be a Potter. Magdalene Lily Eileen Potter. That will be her name." Magdalene had fallen asleep while she ate and Severus carefully pulled her away from his chest. "Take her while I clean up?"

Harry happily took the baby from his mate and sat on the bed. Severus stood and walked very carefully to their bathroom. The potions had returned his body to normal, but there was still a lingering soreness that made walking uncomfortable. A quick shower and a change of nightshirts and Severus was ready to return to his daughter. He did not like having her out of his sight even for a few minutes.

"Has the headmaster been informed?" Severus asked as he watched Harry making faces at Magdalene. He walked to the bed and tried to decide if he was at ease there or if he should return to the nest. Once he thought about it, he settled back against the headboard and got comfortable.

"Poppy called him when we scared her out of the room earlier," Harry said. "They were both waiting when I went out while you were resting. I sent them away and told them not to come back until we invite them."

"Politely, I hope," Severus said.

Harry grinned, "Yes, I was polite. Or as polite as I could be considering I kicked them out of our rooms."

"I shall floo Albus in a little while," Severus said and held his arms out for Magdalene. "For now, I think another nap is in order."


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8**

It took two weeks before Severus and Harry were comfortable enough to let Poppy and the headmaster into their rooms. Another week beyond that before Harry finally emerged from their quarters to resume his private tutoring in the evenings. But it wasn't until May that Severus felt secure enough to emerge and teach his classes, but only then if Harry was in their rooms with Maggie.

When June arrived, however, and Maggie was four months old Harry and Severus decided it was time for them to leave behind their "cave" and present their daughter to the world.

They decided against any big ceremony or announcement. Most of the school, and therefore the wizarding world, knew why the two men had been in confinement by now. And most of them had figured out that the baby had been born, since Severus was teaching again. But they had never actually seen Maggie. So when Harry and Severus showed up for lunch the day before graduation, everyone in the Great Hall was craning his or her neck to see the little bundle of joy.

The crowd around the happy family got bigger and more crushing, despite the fearsome Potions Master's threats of detention. And then it happened. One minute Harry was trying to shield his mate and daughter from the masses of students and the next…

There was a huge green dragon roaring and spitting fire in the middle of the Great Hall.

"Well that explains why he never could master his animagus form," Professor McGonagall said ruefully.

There were screams and students rushing for every available exit while prefects and professors attempted to restore calm even as they trembled at the sight of the dragon. Dumbledore and McGonagall watched with some humor at the scene while Severus did nothing to conceal his smirk. The most surprising reaction was from Maggie, whose eyes turned yellow to match her father's and who let out an answering "Raowr" to her father's roar.

"It would seem that Magdalene has inherited their dragonish traits," Dumbledore said.

McGonagall nodded. "Remind me to retire before she starts school."

Dumbledore chuckled, "Come now Minerva. Surely you aren't afraid of that sweet child."

Minerva gave him an incredulous look. "She'll have Harry's impetuosity and adventurous nature, combined with Severus' intelligence and impatience. Add in the temper and power of a dragon… I am not ashamed to say that sweet Maggie Potter scares the dickens out of me. Can you just imagine the trouble she'll be into? The last of my hair is turning gray just thinking of it."

"I certainly can," Dumbledore said with a twinkle. "I cannot wait to bear witness to such a sight."

McGonagall shook her head at his insanity and turned her attention back to the Hall before them. All of the students and teachers were gone now, leaving the family—father, daughter and dragon—alone. They could not hear what Severus was saying to his mate but the smirk had yet to leave his face.

**HPHPHPHPHP**

"That's one way to clear a room," Severus drawled as he rubbed the nose of his mate. Harry was doing his best to curl his rather large body around his mate and child. "And we are going to have to discuss what sort of example this sort of behavior sets for our child. She cannot grow up believing it is okay to turn into a dragon whenever people annoy her."

Severus continued to talk to Harry in that manner until Harry calmed enough to return to his human form.

"I didn't mean to change into a dragon," Harry said sheepishly. "But did you hear Maggie? She answered my call! You know your daddy, don't you sweetie, even if I look like a big scary dragon."

Severus rolled his eyes and finally continued towards the staff table to enjoy the lunch they had come for. "Albus, Minerva."

"Severus, Harry."

"And how is little Maggie today?" Albus asked as he used the end of his beard to tickle Maggie's toes. This was a fun game for both until Maggie giggled and blew a spurt of fire at the headmaster and singed a good two inches of beard. "Well. I think we'll need to find a new game."

Severus laughed, "It is a new trick Maggie has learned. We've tried dissuading her, but she is stubborn. And she doesn't have a very good example in her daddy."

"It's fun lighting the fire that way," Harry muttered as he filled both his and Severus' plate. "Besides. We've fireproofed pretty much all the important things now. Hey, Severus. Do you think you can turn into a dragon too? Only I think it might be fun to all go flying together once Maggie gets a little older and can change."

Severus rolled his eyes. "I would assume I can. I am not, however, going to make the attempt in the Great Hall."

"I am sorry about that," Harry told the other two professors. "I didn't know that was going to happen. They were all just getting way too close and wouldn't back off."

"Well, I do not believe you will have any trouble after today's display," Dumbledore said. "I doubt even the most foolish wizard will attempt to peek at Maggie without permission now."

"That is a bonus," Severus admitted. "And the students will begin to fear me again. It seems as though my most menacing glares were ignored after giving birth. With the threat of becoming a dragon, I'm sure that will change."

"So, after the ceremony this afternoon, what are your plans for the summer?" McGonagall asked Harry.

"We're going to look for a cottage outside of Hogsmeade," Harry said. "Severus can walk or floo to the castle each day and I'll floo to London."

"Oh," Minerva was surprised. "But I thought you would stay here. After all the work you did to prepare those rooms…"

Harry shrugged. "We'll lock up those rooms in case we need them to nest again in the future, but we want to raise Maggie in a real home. It will be safer for her."

"And for the students," Severus said wryly.

"You are keeping the rooms for the future," McGonagall said slyly. "Does that mean you intend to give Maggie a sibling?"

Severus wanted to growl at the presumptuous woman, but she was his friend and colleague. "Perhaps. We do not even know for sure if it is possible, or if the conception was a one-time event."

"I'm being optimistic," Harry said. "I figure one of us should be. I'd like two more."

"So where exactly are you looking for houses?" Dumbledore asked, turning the topic back onto safer ground.

The rest of lunch was spent discussing the merits of a south facing garden and an eat-in kitchen.

When they finally left to go back to their rooms to prepare for the graduation, Harry smiled as students and faculty alike gave them a wide berth. "That actually went much better than I had hoped."

"You turned into a dragon," Severus reminded his mate.

"Yeah, but now we know I can and so does everyone else," Harry said. "Fear does wonders for keeping unwanted visitors at bay. I should know."

"Harry!" Hermione and Ron were coming down the corridor toward them and the redhead couldn't help but call out. "I heard you had an exciting lunch, mate. Charlie will want to talk with you, I'm betting."

"Yeah well, everyone's avoiding us now," Harry said. "Almost as bad as when everyone thought I was the heir of Slytherin."

"They never," Severus said, shocked.

"They did," Harry said. "Second year. Because I'm a Parseltongue."

"Ridiculous," Severus snorted. He continued down the hall with their daughter, leaving Harry to visit momentarily with his friends.

"Are you coming to the party at the Burrow tomorrow?" Ron asked. "We're gonna announce our engagement to the family."

"I've convinced Severus to stop in for a while," Harry said. "I can't guarantee how long we'll stay. I doubt we'll be much better about your siblings gawking at Maggie than we were today. And Severus doesn't do social very well to begin with."

"I'll warn everyone," Hermione promised. "We just really want you there when we make the announcement. Moral support and all that."

Harry grinned and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You've got my support, moral or otherwise."

Ron watched as Harry got more and more anxious to leave. It was pretty obvious that he still didn't like being apart from Snape and their baby. "Go. We'll see you at the ceremony and at the party tomorrow."

"Thanks," Harry said with a sheepish grin. And then he was off, jogging through the corridors to catch up with his mate.

He caught them just as they were about to enter their rooms.

"So?"

"They just wanted to remind me about the party tomorrow," Harry said.

Severus sighed. "This mate business is a lot of work. Do I really need to be there?"

"Yes," Harry said. "You know we still have trouble being apart. And I need to be there."

Severus handed Maggie to Harry and went to their bedroom. When Harry followed him in, he was sitting on the bed, removing his shirt so that Maggie could have her lunch. Harry was used to the sight by now, but he was still surprised that Severus seemed to enjoy these moments as much as he did. Harry handed Maggie over once Severus was settled. "Here you go, Papa."

"Then I shall go," Severus said as he got Maggie settled as though there had been no interruption in their discussion.

"Thank you," Harry said quietly. He sat beside his mate and kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"As you should," Severus said, but there was a teasing tone to his voice. "After all, I gave you a child."

"You gave me more than that," Harry said with a smile.

"My body?" Severus suggested.

"That too," Harry chuckled.

"Then perhaps you were referring to my heart," Severus said. "Because you have that as well."

"And I'm thankful every day for it," Harry said. "But I was thinking that you gave me everything I could have ever wanted and more: a family, a home, joy, love…"

"Ah," Severus said with a nod. "That. Yes, I suppose I did. But it was only fair, since you did the same for me. I love you Harry James Potter."

"And I love you Severus Snape Potter."

Harry leaned in to give his mate a tender kiss filled with all the love in his heart. Unfortunately, their kiss was interrupted by Maggie, who decided to send a little burp of fire at her daddy.

"Shite, Maggie!" Harry cried out as he jumped back. "Give your daddy a little warning next time."

Severus was too busy laughing to scold Harry for his language or Maggie for spitting fire. And he was reminded of the conversation he had with Albus when all this first began. Things really had changed completely , but every change was worth it in the end, because his life was filled with happiness and laughter and love. All because of a potions accident.

**The End**

**A/N: **Well, that's it for _Nesting_. I hope you have all enjoyed this little fic. It was fun to write. Thanks for all the great reviews and support!

For those of you who read my work in other fandoms, I'm still posting _Baby Mikey_ under House and I'll be posting a new Queer as Folk story tomorrow called _Running_. Hope you'll check those out! Jules


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